10 designers to follow on Instagram

Design Lesson

10 designers to follow on Instagram

No doubt about it, the mobile and tablet app known as Instagram is heavy on photos of luscious food, cute pets and sepia-toned selfies. The soft, vintage-inspired filters and easy photo-editing tools that Instagram offers make all of our cell phone photos look that little bit more glam. Instagram is a particularly good tool to get inspired on the home front. From renovations in progress to gorgeous home decor steals to lush interior landscapes that make us drool, some Instagrammers really awe us with their fantastic photos.

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10 designers to follow on Instagram

Nyla Free

Not only does Nyla Free have one of the coolest first name-last name combos in interior design (it’s not a handle--Nyla Free is her real name), this Calgary-based designer has a fabulous eye for snapshots. We love her Instagram mix of renovations, design projects and sweet family photos. Website nylafreedesigns.com

10 designers to follow on Instagram

Sarah Richardson

We know Sarah Richardson from her behind-the-scenes-style TV shows and we love her adeptness in tackling huge renovations, the way she embraces colour and patterns, and her high-meets-low design ethos. So it’s no surprise we’re loving her Instagram account for the same reasons, especially when she captures tablescapes and textiles. Website: sarahrichardsondesign.com

10 designers to follow on Instagram

The Design Files

Sometimes we get so swept up in North American and UK design that we forget there’s an entire Australian sphere to draw inspiration from. If you’re curious about what’s going on Down Under, follow The Design Files’ Instagram account that showcases designers and artists and, of course, beautiful interiors. The Design Files Daily is also Australia’s most popular decor blog, and with good reason. Website: thedesignfiles.net

10 designers to follow on Instagram

Sealy Design

You might recognize Toronto-based Karen Sealy from her regular guest appearances on the morning show Cityline where she expertly walks viewers through interior design segments. The reason to follow her company’s Instagram account, however, is to get the scoop on dazzling design projects. We’re huge fans of the before-and-after shots, a favourite being a photo of a modern staircase that replaced an awkward old one. Website: sealydesigninc.com

10 designers to follow on Instagram

Kelly Deck Design

It’s a rare talent to be able to blend aspirational, inspirational and attainable design, but Kelly Deck Design nails it effortlessly in Vancouver. Deck’s Instagram photos capture not only the delectable landscapes of the West Coast, but snippets of unbelievably beautiful interiors of her firm’s design. Website: kellydeck.com

10 designers to follow on Instagram

Mason Studio

The Toronto design team and founders of Mason Studio, Ashley Rumsey and Stanley Sun create some of the most striking interior projects you’ll see on Instagram. (You’ll sneak peeks at the Mason Studio team having a blast, too). We love how they mix themes of playful experiences and their seriously artistic interior design endeavours. Website: www.mason-studio.com

10 designers to follow on Instagram

Igloo Design

Igloo, a joint Montreal-Toronto design firm bills itself as a purveyor of “luxury residential and high-impact hospitality,” a description we are heartily compelled to agree with, based on the elegant photos it posts on Instagram. Prepare to be entranced and maybe even a smidge jealous of the artwork, architecture, travel and not least, the design elements featured regularly by the firm’s ultra-stylish partners Alain Courchesne and Anna Abbuzzo. Website: igloodesign.ca

10 designers to follow on Instagram

Carol Reed Design

When we want to feel like we’re on vacation by the coast in Nova Scotia, we simply check out what Carol Reed Design has posted most recently. The Nova Scotia and Toronto-based interior designer Carol Reed brilliantly captures laid-back coastal and modern-country style. It’s evident this style-setter enjoys cataloguing the beautiful wares she sees on her enviable shopping trips. Website: carolreeddesign.com

10 designers to follow on Instagram

Corea Sotropa

Calgary designers Jacqueline Corea and Reena Sotropa take us through the life of an in-demand interior design firm via their lush and elegant Instagram feed. Photos of their cute shoes standing on top of covetable flooring, images of tile samples and wallpaper make us feel like we’re right in the room with this dynamic designing duo. They also have a knack for discovering beautiful, edgy metals. Website: thepinkchandelier.ca

10 designers to follow on Instagram

Quintessence

Though we’ve kept this round-up mostly Canadian, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point you in the direction of Quintessence, a lovely account maintained by Connecticut-based Stacey Bewkes, who also has a cult-hit blog. Drawing on her experience as an art director in NYC for 17 years, Bewkes’ photography leads us delightfully through the design world, from the perspective of someone in touch with today’s tastemakers and icons in decor and fashion. Website: quintessenceblog.com